“Atractylodes macrocephala, it’s here, third row, fifth column; Angelica sinensis, fifth row, second column…” Sun Miao’er didn’t recognize many herbs. She had to open the cabinet one by one to compare the herbs she didn’t recognize. This was a really rudimentary task, but after doing it a few times, she found that she recognized more herbs.
Her hands couldn't stop; she had already memorized the locations of many herbs. Sun Miao'er recited them aloud, reaching the top row, "Alum, white..."
Isn't this exactly what she wanted? She was just worrying about not having alum to dye the cloth, but she unexpectedly stumbled upon it at her master's place. "Master, could you lend me some alum? Just a little bit will do."
"Take it and use it." Fu Yuchi didn't ask what she wanted to use it for. Seeing that she had put a lot of effort into organizing the medicine cabinet, he agreed.
In Fu Yuchi's medicine hut, there were not only herbs drying in the sun, but also several iron pots, which he usually used to process herbs. Sun Miao'er set up a pot, ground alum into powder, dissolved it in water, took a white cloth, and tied it along one corner with a thin thread. This was a tie-dyeing technique. She remembered that when the master in the factory demonstrated it, the tie-dyeing patterns were exceptionally exquisite, but this was her first time trying it, and she could only tie it by feel.
Sun Miao'er picked up a lot of bamboo leaves from the bamboo forest behind the bamboo house. They were a fresh, tender green. After washing the bamboo leaves clean, she put them in an iron pot and boiled them for half an hour.
Fu Yuchi had no idea what the girl was doing in the yard. While annotating a medical book in the house, he looked up a few times and realized that she seemed to be dyeing cloth. He was slightly surprised and quickly flipped through the book, trying his best not to be distracted by the commotion in the yard.
Sun Miao'er soaked the bound cloth in alum water. After the bamboo leaves had been boiled until they turned a deep green color, she put the bound cloth in to soak.
"Master, I'm sorry to bother you today. It's really inconvenient at my home. What would you like to eat tonight? I'll make it for you right away!" Sun Miao'er came in after tidying up outside, and she even made sure to arrange the herbs that had been blown around neatly.
Fu Yuchi straightened up. It was late afternoon in the summer, but it was still bright outside. The sunlight shone into the room and shone directly on his face, making him unable to open his eyes. "The wild mushrooms you brought from the mountains, don't you remember what you promised your teacher?"
Sun Miao'er suddenly remembered the basket of mushrooms. She had promised to make a mixed mushroom and vegetable soup for her master, but she was so focused on dyeing the cloth that she completely forgot about it.
"Master, where are the mushrooms? I'm coming right now." She slung her small bamboo basket over her shoulder and strode out of the bamboo house, heading straight for the back hill. At the foot of the hill grew delicious wild vegetables, which were in full bloom during the season. She casually dug up a few kinds.
She searched the medicine hut but couldn't find a kitchen. Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. The few iron pots in the yard were fine for refining medicine, but they were too perfunctory for cooking. "Master, how come your medicine hut doesn't even have a stove?"
Fu Yuchi straightened up, his words hesitant, "I will take you there." He used calmness to cover up his guilty conscience, after all, a master still has face to save, and he can't make a fool of himself in front of his disciple.
It turned out that the kitchen was hidden behind the courtyard. Sun Miao'er thought to herself, no wonder she couldn't find it. She had to go around the bamboo house to find a small house. The door of the house was covered with cobwebs and a thick layer of dust, and it looked like no one had touched it for a long time. Sun Miao'er couldn't imagine how her master lived alone. Did he not even use the kitchen? Did he live by eating at other people's houses?
Sun Miao'er stepped forward and pushed open the door. The dust inside hit her face, making her cough a few times while covering her nose. The scene inside was indeed shocking—the stove was blackened by soot, the entire kitchen was marked with signs of fire, and even the old pots and pans were charred. Through what she saw, Sun Miao'er could easily imagine the extent of the damage her master's kitchen had suffered. She could roughly guess that Fu Yuchi was the kind of person who could burn down a kitchen, as rumored.
"Where does Master usually eat?" Sun Miao'er asked, seizing the opportunity. Reaching such a level was truly extraordinary.
Fu Yuchi spread his hands, unable to recall the last time he had cooked. In any case, each time it ended in a chaotic mess with smoke and fire, which was truly shameful. "As you can see, when I go to make house calls, I charge a low fee, so people naturally invite me to stay for a meal."
The reason is indeed flawless, and it makes sense. The doctor came to our house twice to examine my grandmother, and she invited him to stay for a meal both times. That makes sense. However, if others knew the reason behind it, it would probably be a laughing stock.
"Alright, Master, I'll tidy it up." Sun Miao'er drew water from the well in the yard, rolled up her sleeves, took a piece of coarse linen and wiped the stove, then moved aside the pile of dry firewood covered with cobwebs in the corner. After making these simple preparations, she prepared to get started.
The wild mushrooms brought back from the mountains don't keep well. In just half a day, their color had already darkened considerably. Sun Miao'er frowned. If they weren't processed today, they would probably rot by tomorrow. This wild delicacy is indeed precious, and only those who live off the land can enjoy it. It must be very difficult for city dwellers to even have a taste.
After washing the wild mushrooms, Sun Miao'er heated the wok and poured some hot oil into it. Soon, the hot oil began to smoke. She then poured a bowl of wild mushrooms into the wok with a "whoosh," creating a crisp sound as the water droplets hit the oil. The aroma of the wild mushrooms burst forth, filling the entire kitchen.
"These wild mushrooms need to be sautéed in hot oil to bring out their aroma. If you just cook them directly, they won't be as delicious." Sun Miao'er skillfully flipped the spatula, and seeing that the mushrooms were already seven or eight parts cooked by the hot oil, she added the fresh wild vegetables she had just picked and just enough water to cover them.
At this moment, the aromas of wild vegetables and mushrooms mingled together, fresh and refreshing. Fu Yuchi leaned halfway against the door frame, the way his apprentice cooked and the clumsy way he gathered herbs forming a stark contrast, as if he had been waiting for such an apprentice to save his kitchen.
Fu Yuchi was lost in thought, staring at the pot of soup, which was bubbling and churning. A clear female voice rang in his ears.
"Open the pot!"
Sun Miao'er brought the hot soup from abroad to Fu Yuchi. It was extremely delicious. The mushrooms were cooked to perfection, slightly browned by the hot oil, which brought out their aroma. The green wild vegetables added a touch of color, making it a dish that was both visually appealing and fragrant.
As for the taste, Fu Yuchi only took one bite and felt her tongue was bound, but she still tried her best to restrain her praise for the deliciousness, sipping it with a wooden spoon with restraint, and also picking up a piece of mushroom and putting it in her mouth.
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